Fiat Avventura – evo fleet new arrival

I have had a rough month with the Avventura. Ben had been praising it a lot for its efficiency when he handed me the keys of the Fiat mid-month. Hmm, cheap and cheerful Kwid to flashy orange Avventura. I could have done without the attention.

Since, it has been only city driving for the next few weeks, where the Avventura has proved to be a little cumbersome. For starters, the car doesn’t have parking sensors and with a spare wheel hanging out back, it’s worrying in tight parking spots. There’s a heavy lever on the spare handle that requires some effort to get the hatch open, and doing it regularly does get a bit annoying.

Once on the move, the ergonomics are something it has from the Punto so I’m not going to complain about that. The countless speed breakers around Pune however constantly remind me that the Avventura has been jacked up over the Grande Punto (which rides really well). The Avventura does feel a lot heavier than its 1190kg kerb weight and so too the steering. It’s a hydraulic rack that’s meant to be a tad heavier and offer more feedback but it needn’t be so heavy.

To the Avventura’s credit, it does turn a lot of heads. It’s a rare car and everyone gives it that curious lingering glance. A lot of prospective buyers enquiring about the car were considering it over an EcoSport and a Duster. It’s just Rs 8.66 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, almost Rs 1.1 lakh cheaper than an EcoSport. Sure it doesn’t compete outright with proper SUVs but for a casual car buyer at face value, the Avventura is a match, and a considerably more affordable one at that. Cars that are out of the ordinary seem to get their share of attention and the Avventura is one such car.

I like the spacious cabin, good for four adults and unlike many hatchbacks, it isn’t claustrophobic. From the driver’s seat, the large wing mirrors and nicely contoured steering wheel improve the driving experience. Bluetooth is a bit difficult to pair and browsing through your playlist without a large display unit isn’t easy. It could get a few more features then – parking sensors, a rear view camera and a screen for infotainment.

As for the efficiency, however strained the engine, it still returned above 14kmpl, and on more efficient runs, it was returning an impressive 18.5kmpl. Month ends aren’t that tough with it then.

Date acquired: January 2016
Duration of test: 3 months
Total mileage: 23,478km
Mileage this month: 1103km
Overall kmpl: 18.5kmpl
Costs this month: Nil